Coles to introduce body-worn cameras to fight theft and violence in stores

Cole’s staff will soon wear body cameras in an effort to reduce violence against staff and theft.

Coles announced on Monday it will launch the cameras in 30 high-risk Coles stores in South Australia, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia to gauge response.

Paul Zahra from the Australian Retailers Association explained how the cameras will work.

‘They are only activated when the team member feels that he is in a threatened situation. So they’re not recording 24/7,” he told Sunrise on Tuesday.

“The team member is trained to let the customer know that they are setting up the recording… It gives the team member the ability to feel that level of safety for themselves and other customers.”

Part of the reason Coles is introducing the cameras is in response to a record 20 percent increase in stock losses, mainly due to theft, last financial year.

It posted news of increased shoplifting, which it estimates is costing businesses about $9 billion annually, in addition to $1.1 billion in profits.

Mr Zahra said the new crime wave is “probably the worst I have seen in my entire history in retail”.

“We’ve had such high levels of retail crime that there’s no definitive reason why it has become such a serious problem,” he said.

“We think the cost of living crisis has played a role, but we are seeing a shift from shoplifting to organized crime and that is a bigger concern.”

Mr Zahra added that the cameras are in line with Coles’ staff privacy policies.

In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, a Coles spokesperson said staff supported the new technology.

Coles said the cameras will help protect staff and shoppers from violent behavior and deter theft

“It’s important to note that the majority of customers in the store are doing the right thing. These types of measures are for those who don’t,” they said.

‘The safety of our team members and customers is our top priority and we have a range of security measures in place to reduce theft from our stores, including security staff and surveillance technologies such as CCTV.

“Body-worn cameras only record when they are activated. If a team member feels unsafe in a situation, he or she can turn on the body camera and inform the customer that they are turning it on for safety.

“This trial has been well received by team members, who believe the technology would benefit them when faced with a threatening situation.”

Customers shopping in the thirty test stores will soon see a small black box on the shirts of the staff.

The small box is the camera that, when activated, will stream a live video feed to management.

The body cameras will be tested in South Australia, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia

Body cameras are already used in a wide range of industries, but are most commonly worn by police and security.

Cole’s rival Woolworths began testing body cameras for staff safety in 2021.

Coles’ first body cameras will be rolled out at the Rundle Place retail inn, Adelaide CBD.